Light ray gun



SePf- 1, 1942 .l 1:.. E. HOOKER ETAL 2,294,558

LIGHT RAY GUN Filed June 26, 1940 Patented Sept. 1, 1942 Search itesm LIGHT RAY GUN Donald E. Hooker and Frank G. Nicolaus, Chicago, Ill., assignors to Raymond T. Moloney,

Chicago, Ill.

Application June 26, 1940, Serial No. 342,506

(Cl. 24o- 6.41)

Claims.

The invention relates to a light ray shooting gun for use with amusement apparatus or for practicing markmanship.

Such guns usually carry an electric lamp as the light source and an optical system in the gun barrel to make the bullet of light capable of accurate aim. In guns of this type Where it is desired to simulate the rapid re action of a machine gun a problem is encountered because of the after-glow of the light when the electricity therefor is turned off, especially Where the target objective includes a photo-electric cell. It is desirable, accordingly, to overcome this difliculty by providing a shutter means in association with the light.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved light ray shooting gun.

Another object is to provide a practicable light ray shooting gun capable of rapid fire action in simulation of a machine gun without any objectionable after-glow effects.

Another object is to provide a light ray gun including e, novel and simple shutter mechanism.

Still another object is to provide improved means for causing the shutter to be actuatedat the desired times.

Other important objects will become apparent to those skilled in this art as the disclosure is more fully made.

Briefly, such objects are obtained in a gun having an electric lamp for the light source and an optical system, with a shutter normally spring held in the barrel in light beam cutting off po-Y sition. Associated with the shutter is an electromagnetic device operable in timed sequence by an electrical control system to move the shutter to permit the beam of light to pass to the target.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a general elevational View, partly in section, and including a typical wiring diagram for the required circuits; and,

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, locking in the direction of the arrows.

The gun may be of the shoulder held, submachine gun variety and has `a, stock Ill, barrel sights I2 and a hand hold piece I3, including an integral, enlarged portion I4 to simulate a magazine. Proximate the handle I3 is a linger pulled trigger I5 pivotally mounted as shown and having a nib I6 normally resting lightly against the under side of a double blade leaf spring contact switch positioned, as shown.

The barrel is carried in a holder I8. The holder I8 at its rear end carries an electric lamp I9 and condenser lens 20, while a projector lens 2| at the front end of the barrel I I completes the optical system. In advance of the trigger I5 the barrel is apertured as at 22 and extended upwardly through said opening into the barrel is a shutter 23. This shutter is in fact the core or armature element of an electromagnetic device 24 including a coil spring 25 to push the shutter 23 upwardly when the coil or device 24 is deenergized. The shutter 23 does not completely obstruct the barrel I I because this is not necessary, since the lens concentrates the light into a thin sharp beam or ray.

From the one side of switch I'| a wire 26 leads to a relay 21, thence by Wire 28 to one side of a source of energy 29 and a motor 3|). From the other side of the motor a wire 3| leads back to the source 29, said wire 3| including a normally open switch 32 operable to closed positionby the relay 21 when the latter is energized. Said relay switch 2T-32 acts positively in cutting in and cutting off the motor 30 and for that reason is interposed in the line rather than to have the blade switch I1 do this directly. From wire 3| a return wire 33 leads back to the other blade of the switch Wires 34 connect the lamp I9 with opposite sides of the source of energy 29, as

shown.

A circle of contacts 35 is positioned in electrical connection with the gun, a cable of Wires represented by line 36 leading from the separate contacts of said contact ring 35 in the well known manner to one side of the device 24, and a wire 31 leading back from the device 24 to the source of energy. A wire 38 runs from"wire 3| to a rotating Wiper switch arm 39 operatively associated with the contacts 35 to pass current to the device or solenoid 24 and the arm 39 in any suitable manner it is to be understood will be driven by said motor 30. This completes the detail description an'd the manner of use and mode of operation will next be set forth.

In use the gun is held to the marksmans shoulder and aimed like any gun toward a target. When the trigger l5 is pulled, the switch in the gun can be momentarily closed, or held closed as long as desired by merely holding the trigger back. When the switch I1 is closed the circuit 26, 28, 29 and 33 is closed to cause energization of the relay coil 21. Said coil now pulls to closed position the switch 32, Whereupon a, circuit 3|, 29, is closed to cause operation of the motor 39. Since the lamp I9, by means of wires 34 is in the motor circuit the said lamp I9 is now lighted, but normally no ray of light passes through the gun barrel because of the shutter 23, pressed upwardly \by the spring 25 to light ray obstructing position. The motor 30 in any well known way drives the wiper switch arm 39 clockwise and always in the same direction. With the trigger switch held closed now, each time the wiper arm 39 passes over a conductor button in the circle of contacts 35 a circuit 36, 31, 29, 38, 32 is completed to energize the device 24 and electromagnetically pull the core or shutter 23 downwardly against the spring 25 and thus clear the gun barrel and permit the beam of light to pass to the target, if properly aimed.

It can now be seen that when the trigger switch is closed, the shutter is not directly actuated, but that first by means of the relay 21, a motor and lamp circuit is conditioned. The lamp thus burns, but the ray of light is not flashed from the gun until the rotary switch 39 makes a circuit through a contact 35 to energize the device 24. By this arrangement a single flash of light can be flashed if the trigger is only held closed for an instant, or by holding the trigger switch closed for a longer period, the motor 3|] is permitted to run and drive the arm 39 successively over the contacts 35 and create a machine gun rapid re action. It is in this condition when the arm 39 is traveling between contacts 35 and not passing current that the core 24 is deenergized and the shutter snaps to ob-structing position to prevent light from the then steadily burning lamp to interfere with the photo-cell at the target. When single shots are rapidly red the shutter is operative to prevent after-glow from working the photo-cell, in a manner readily understandable.

It can now be seen that an improved light ray shooting gun has been provided which achieves all of the desirable objects heretofore recited.

The intention is to cover herein all changes and modifications not departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a light ray shooting gun having a portion carrying an electric lamp, an optical system and a trigger actuated switch, a circuit operatively associated with a source of energy and the gun, a motor in the circuit, a rotary wiper switch in the circuit adapted to be driven by said motor, a relay closed starting switch to condition the motor circuit and light the lamp when the trigger switch is closed, a shutter normally positioned to obstruct passage of light from the lamp through the gun, and electromagnetically actuated means in the circuit to move the shutter to permit passage of light from the gun whenever the rotary switch passes current.

2. In a light ray shooting gun, a barrel, an electric lamp therein, an optical system in the barrel, a trigger actuated switch embodied in the gun and included in an electrical circuit associated with the gun and lamp, a solenoid carried by the gun adjacent the barrel and having a spring pressed core passed through an aperture formed in the barrel and serving as a shutter to obstruct the barrel, and means responsive to closing of the trigger switch and included in the circuit for successively energizing and deenergizing the solenoid so long as the trigger switch is held closed to cause a successive moving of the shutter into and out of the barrel.

3. In a light ray shooting gun, a barrel, an electric lamp therein, an optical system in the barrel, a trigger actuated switch embodied in the gun and included in an electrical circuit associated with the gun and lamp, a shutter positioned normally to prevent passage of light from the lamp through the gun, and rotary switch means in the circuit operative in response to the trigger switch when held closed for causing the shutter successively to clear and obstruct the barrel.

4. In a light ray gun, a barrel, a source of light therein including an optical system, a shutter carried adjacent the barrel and movable into and out of same through an opening formed in the barrel, a spring normally pressing the shutter into the barrel, electromagnetic means to retract the shutter from the barrel, a motor circuit including motor actuated means to make and break the circuit embodying the electromagnetic means, and a trigger operated switch to condition the motor circuit.

5. In a light ray shooting gun having a portion carrying an electric lamp, an optical system and a trigger actuated switch, a circuit operatively associated with a source of energy and the gun, a motor in the circuit, a rotary wiper switch in the circuit adapted to be driven by said motor, a switch to condition the motor circuit and light the lamp when the trigger switch is closed, a shutter normally positioned to obstruct passage of light from the lamp through the gun, and operative means in the circuit to move the shutter to permit passage of light from the gun whenever the rotary switch passes current.

DONALD E. HOOKER. FRANK G. NICOLAUS. 

